Alathra:Creating a Minor race

This guideline explains how to create and document a Minor race in Alathra. All players wishing to create a Minor race must follow these standards to ensure balance, consistency, and fairness in the greater world of Alathra. The current Major and Minor races can be viewed here.

Introduction

A Minor Race is a custom subrace based on an existing Major race (e.g., Elves, Dwarves, Humans). A Minor race must always originate from a Major race. It must observe meaningful differences in traits, biology, culture, and/or history. Players creating a minor race are responsible for its lore and proper documentation on the Alathra Wiki.

To maintain narrative consistency, Minor race creation follows a three-phase process. This ensures only well-developed and community-integrated races are added to the world.

Phase I | Seeding

Players begin as characters from an existing Major Race. Through roleplay and lore, characters gradually develop divergent traits such as: Cultural variations Unique beliefs or rituals Physical mutations or magical adaptations These developments must stay within the bounds of the Major Race's identity. No mechanical differences, claims, or official renaming of the race are allowed during this phase. Character Creation Guidelines (Summary) This is a small summary of the character creation guidelines, it is recommended to read the full Character Guidelines. Characters must exist solely within the world of Alathra and align with its medieval-to-1700s fantasy technology level. Characters must belong to a Major or approved Minor Race. All characters must be of age appropiate to their race lifespan. Elder characters must include a death plan if within final 10% of the race's maximum lifespan. Every character must have clear strengths and weaknesses. Race traits do not count towards this balance. Characters may not claim influence over past lore without written consent. Mixed-race characters must choose one parent’s strengths and inherit all weaknesses from both. Official lore may be referenced but not expanded upon.

Phase II | Community Cultivation

A minimum of 3 players must collaborate in roleplay under a shared emerging identity. Players may begin to refer to themselves with a label or identifier in RP and naming conventions (e.g., "Children of Ash", "Kezrim People"). The identity is not yet considered a distinct race. A draft of the proposed race concept must be maintained (e.g., Google Doc), including: Cultural features Aesthetic distinctions Behavioral patterns or philosophies Any early lore development Do not create or document this proposed race on the Alathra Wiki during this phase. Only external drafts are permitted.

Phase III | Canonization

After at least 14 days of sustained roleplay and in-world presence, the race applicant may proceed with submission. Steps to begin canonization: Create a Lore/Wiki ticket in the Alathra Discord. Post your proposed race draft in the ticket. Include proof of in-game presence and activity (e.g., towns, events, interactions). Must include a 3D MC Skin, along with its 2D version, other reference images can be included alongside the MC Skin. Provide a justification for the race's strengths and weaknesses. This must be balanced. Provide a brief but complete description of the race. This should be one paragraph that summarizes the race’s appearance, abilities (both strengths and weaknesses), and a quick overview of their lore or origin. Think of it as a short introduction that gives player. a clear idea of what makes the race unique. Staff will conduct a one-time review to evaluate: Consistency with Alathra’s existing lore. Racial balance and fair traits. Integration with ongoing narratives and player-driven worldbuilding. If staff are satisfied with the concept: The race applicant will be asked to create a full Wiki article using the official Minor Race Template. You may expand upon the template however the content on the template must still be included. Staff will review the final article. If approved, the race will be canonized and added to the Official Races list. Minor Race Template {{Infobox race | title = Race Name | minor = y | image = [3D MC Skin.png] | imagelink = Direct Link or [2D MC Skin.png] | caption = Example appearance | lifespan = | mature_size = }} ==Appearance== Describe distinctive physical features: height, body type, skin tone, markings, clothing styles, etc. Other reference images can be included here. ==Abilities & Behaviors== List strengths and weaknesses, both must be clearly explained and balanced. Include instincts, attitudes, social behavior, etc. ==Culture & Beliefs== Describe their society, religion, philosophy, language, or traditions. ==Origin & History== Explain how this race diverged from its parent race. Include major historical events, origin myths, or relevant societal shifts. Minor Race Submission Checklist ✔ Minimum 3 active players with approved characters involved. ✔ 14+ days of in-game development. ✔ External draft with documented culture & lore. ✔ Proof of in-world presence (screenshots, events). ✔ Race is biologically, culturally, and mechanically distinct. ✔ Traits are balanced (strengths offset by drawbacks). ✔ MC skin files included (3D + 2D PNG). ✔ Open Lore/Wiki ticket on Discord.

Minor Race Requirements

Creating a Minor Race allows for creative freedom, but comes with responsibility:

• Must meaningfully diverge from the parent Major Race in biology, culture, or behavior.
  • Cosmetic only changes (e.g., hair color, slight aesthetic differences) are not allowed.
  • Cannot be a copy of an already approved race.
• Must maintain internal balance: powerful traits require significant drawbacks.
• Cannot stack parent race strengths or circumvent core race weaknesses.
• Once canonized, major traits or characteristics cannot be changed retroactively.
• Must be capable of diplomacy (e.g., interaction, negotiation, or reasoning). Races can be reclusive, antisocial, or hostile but they must still be able to engage in diplomacy if the situation calls for it.
• Must include a 3D MC Skin, along with it's 2D version, other reference images can be included alongside the MC Skin.

Minor Race Limitations

• A race cannot be taller than 5 meters (16 feet).
• All races reach adulthood in 18-20 years of age regardless of lifespan
• The average lifespan of a race can't be higher than 500 years.
  • The maximum lifespan of a race is 1000 years.
• Cannot be a Minor Race of another Minor Race.
• Each player may only create and submit up to 2 Minor Races.

Minor Race Maintenance

Once a Minor Race is approved and added to the world of Alathra, it becomes part of the living lore. The following rules govern how it is maintained:

• If a Minor Race becomes inactive, it may be archived by staff and marked as Vanished.
  • Vanished races are no longer playable.
  • To revive a vanished race, players must start from Phase I and complete the full approval process again.
• Mixed-race characters must choose one parent’s strengths and inherit all weaknesses from both.
• Staff involvement is limited to reviewing and approving races, preserving the integrity of canon lore.
• Ongoing maintenance is the responsibility of the race’s community and its players.
• Core aspects of a Minor Race (biology, core traits, cultural identity) cannot be changed, even by the original creator.
  • This ensures consistency and protects other players who have created characters based on the original documentation.
• Minor edits like grammar, added lore, or cultural expansions may be made with original creator's permission.

How to balance a Race

When you make a new race for Alathra, you’re not just creating a cool character idea. You’re adding something new to a living world with other players, stories, and cultures. That means your race needs to feel like it belongs in the world, not breaks it.

To make sure that happens, we ask all new races to be balanced to have both strengths and weaknesses.

Why does balance matter in Alathra and other worlds?
If a race was too strong, for example super smart, super fast, lived forever, couldn’t be hurt, had magic powers or an army, they’d probably have taken over the world already. Other races wouldn’t be able to stop them. And if that happened, there wouldn’t be much story left to tell.

But Alathra is full of different cultures, empires, ruins, and legends. That only works if no single race is unbeatable. Every group needs to have limits: things they struggle with or can’t do well. That way the world stays interesting, fair, and full of conflict, cooperation, and mystery.

Tips for balancing your Race

When you make a new race for Alathra, you’re not just creating a cool character idea. You’re adding something new to a living world with other players, stories, and cultures. That means your race needs to feel like it belongs in the world, not like it breaks it. To make sure that happens, we ask all new races to be balanced – to have both strengths and weaknesses. Every strength should have a weakness. If your race is physically strong, perhaps they are feared or isolated. If they live long lives, maybe they struggle to adapt to change. Flaws make races more believable and enjoyable to roleplay. Avoid stacking too many advantages. Don’t combine all the best traits of your parent race with powerful new abilities. A Minor Race should be distinct, not just a "better version" of an existing race. Keep things grounded. No race should be invincible, flawless, or immortal. Alathra’s world thrives on balance, even mythical dragons were eventually slain. Every power should come at a cost. Consider your race’s history. If your race is powerful, ask: why haven’t they taken over? What stopped them? Do other people fear them? Are they declining? These kinds of questions help your race fit into the world’s history, not overwrite it. Culture can create limits. Your race’s beliefs, rules, or customs can act as limits. Maybe they can’t use certain tools, must follow a strict code, or avoid outsiders. These traits can create weaknesses that feel natural. Being rare ≠ being overpowered. A race’s mystery, age, or rarity should support storytelling, not justify unbalanced power. Rarity alone is not a weakness. Examples of fair trade-offs Minor Races must have a fair trade-off between abilities and drawbacks. Positive Trait Required Drawback (Example) Extended lifespan Infertility, slow reproduction, inability to use magic Enhanced strength Reduced dexterity, brittle bones Magical affinity Chance to kill the host, mana exhaustion, madness, Amphibious biology Higher susceptibility to dehydration, slow land movement Note: A powerful positive must be offset by an equally impactful drawback. Minor flaws like “drinks more water” are not acceptable trade offs for major benefits. Questions to Ask What makes my race different without making it stronger than everyone else? Why hasn’t my race taken over the world already? What stops them from solving every problem or winning every fight? Do their weaknesses help other players tell cool stories? Would I be okay if another player used this race against me?

FAQ

Q: Can I create a magic-using Dwarf
A: No. A Minor Race cannot bypass limitations of its major race.

Q: Can I later change my race’s biology or remove a core trait?
A: No. Once approved, those traits are locked.

Q: What if someone else has a similar race idea?
A: You can collaborate, make a regional variant, or create a new race with different elements.

Q: What if my race goes inactive?
A: The wiki page remains, but it may be archived by staff and the race marked as "Vanished".

Q: Can I make a Minor Race of another Minor Race?
A: No, your Minor Race must come from a Major Race not another Minor Race.

Q: I'm unsure about something, where do I go to ask for help?
A: You can ask for help in various of places, we suggest asking in our discord in; wiki discussion, questions channel or make a Lore/Wiki ticket.

Note: Creating a Minor Race is a creative and collaborative opportunity. Think of it as planting a branch on the tree of Alathra’s lore. If you nurture it well and build connections, your race may grow to become a lasting part of the world.